Official Review: Tesserae by BJ Edwards

Jaime Lync · Post by **Jaime Lync** » 25 May 2017, 17:53

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Tesserae" by BJ Edwards.]

4 out of 4 stars

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Tesserae, a collection of poems, by BJ Edwards was first published in 2016 by Fantastic Books Publishing. Tesserae is the plural form of Tessera, a small piece used in mosaic work. Also, in ancient times, a Tessera could serve as a token or a ticket. The 65 poems in this fantastic book really brought out the different meanings of the titular word.

Every poem in this book has an amazing name. I read the titles of the poems from the first one, ‘The Struggle’, to the last one, ‘Glimpse of childhood’, and I was amazed at how interesting every title seemed. After reading Edwards masterpieces I realized that it wasn’t just the titles that were striking.

The poems cover various themes such as romantic love, war, religion, mental health, hope, fear, and loss. I do not agree with all of the things that were penned but I can certainly admire and learn from the way they were expressed. I did not find the poems that spoke of God as if he was a man-made construct very agreeable. There were also suggestions to worship gods; Christians (as well as adherents of other religious sects) may feel offended by some of the things that Edwards has to say about religion. However, as previously mentioned, religion is not the only theme that is dealt with in the poems. I especially loved poems such as ‘Little Girl Lost and Found’ and ‘Words’. These poems prompt the reader to embrace new beginnings as well as to pursue literary goals such as writing poetry and novels.

The poet’s writing style was comparable to an artist drawing on a canvas. Every noun seemed to be described with a suitable adjective. Every verb seemed to be aptly modified with an adverb. On average, the poems were three pages long. Edwards mainly wrote free verse and prose poetry. However, one of my favorite poems, ‘Storyteller’, was written as a series of rhymed couplets (two line stanzas). One of the things that I most enjoyed about this book is the varied use of literary devices. Onomatopoeia, personification, simile, metaphor, alliteration and repetition are just some of the devices Edwards employs throughout the poems. This is definitely a book that poets and poetry enthusiasts will enjoy.

In conclusion, I rate Tesserae 4 out of 4 stars. This colorful collection of poems is virtually free of grammatical and editorial errors. I think that readers with an open mind will find this book both thought-provoking and entertaining.

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Tesserae
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Flor26 · Post by **Flor26** » 04 Jun 2017, 15:02

I am not a fan of poetry but this sounds quite intriguing. Thanks for sharing bro.

Manang Muyang · Post by **Manang Muyang** » 04 Jun 2017, 15:04

What an inspired review of the book, Jaime! I hope I get the chance to read it soon. It would be good to get tips about writing good poetry.

I also read somewhere that BJ Edwards is totally blind. That means he has a heightened sensitivity, a trait for great poets.

I also like the book cover a lot.

Jaime Lync · Post by **Jaime Lync** » 04 Jun 2017, 16:17

Thanks Flor and Miriam. I love the book cover but for some reason it was not properly attached so it is to the bottom of the review. I didn't know Edwards is blind. His vivid use of imagery is even more note worthy if that is the case.

Spirit Wandering · Post by **Spirit Wandering** » 04 Jun 2017, 16:18

I had to look up the word onomatopoeia as I had not come across it before today. Poetry is not normally my genre but this book sounds interesting. Thanks for the review.

AuGold · Post by **AuGold** » 04 Jun 2017, 16:21

This sounds like a very good read. The varied use of literary devices is appealing. Good review.

Jaime Lync · Post by **Jaime Lync** » 04 Jun 2017, 16:24

Thanks for reading and replying Spirit Wandering and AuGold. I'm glad you both were interested in poetry by my review.

General Doc · Post by **General Doc** » 04 Jun 2017, 19:28

I think that it is important for poems to have appealing names and according to BJ Edwards seems to have aptly named the poems. Thanks for sharing your review.

Jaime Lync · Post by **Jaime Lync** » 04 Jun 2017, 19:31

Thanks Doc. His poems do have awesome names.

Post by **bookowlie** » 04 Jun 2017, 19:47

Nice, thorough review! You did a great job of objectively evaluating the collection, even though some of the subject matter and opinions were not your taste.

Amagine · Post by **Amagine** » 04 Jun 2017, 20:38

I love reading books of poetry and you make this one sound very nice! I may have to give it a read!

Great Review! ?

Jaime Lync · Post by **Jaime Lync** » 04 Jun 2017, 22:38

Thanks Bookowolie and Amagine for your pleasant comments. Much appreciated.

Post by **kandscreeley** » 05 Jun 2017, 08:37

Well, this does sound interesting. I'm not usually into poetry, but some of the devices that the author uses sound interesting. I also like the idea of the Storyteller poem. I'm not sure about some of the religious poetry, but to each his own. Thanks for the review.

Jaime Lync · Post by **Jaime Lync** » 05 Jun 2017, 09:11

Thanks for stopping by Kandscreeley. This is definitely a book that I would read over - the poems I liked, not the whole collection.

Czarmaine AM · Post by **Czarmaine AM** » 05 Jun 2017, 22:28

I liked how you took note of the devices used in this work. I guess I'd just have to see it for myself how you compared his writing style to an artist drawing on a canvas. Thank you for this insightful review!